Thousands of luminarias surrounded the lake at Wall Park this weekend, each honoring a loved one who either fights cancer or was lost to cancer.

The luminaria - a small paper lantern, typically consisting of a paper bag and a candle - dotted the Relay for Life trail, reminding participants of who and what they were fighting for.

McPherson's annual Relay For Life was from 6 p.m. on Friday until 6 a.m. on Saturday. Relay events help raise funds and awareness in the battle against cancer. At least one participant was on the trail the entire night, symbolizing that cancer never sleeps.

Cancer survivors at the event wore a white sash, and caregivers wore a purple sash. Some survivors wore pins on their sashes, with each pin recognizing a year that the individual has fought cancer.

For the first lap of the event, both caregivers and survivors walked together, with cancer victims sharing how many years they've battled cancer. The years of battle ranged from a few weeks to more than 30 years.

Mayor Tom Brown opened the ceremonies Friday with encouragement to both participants and survivors.

“Keep up the great work with your donations and prayer,” he said. “We'll beat this thing yet.”

Melissa Easterburg, one of the relay staff, spoke to attendees about the importance of early detection.

Easterburg said she was checked for cancer through early detection five years ago, and that doctors were able to recognize and remove the abnormality before it grew.

“Because of that system, I can stand here today and tell you I am not a cancer survivor,” she said.

This year's relay raised close to $70,000. The money will go towards cancer research both locally and nationally.

Joseph Tuszynski can be reached at jtuszynski@mcphersonsentinel.com, or follow him on Twitter @JoeTSentinel.